Car-fender.



PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

H. THIELE. OAR FENDER.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 10 1903.

N0 MODEL.

5] vvuawfo z wmmm UNlTED STATES Patented August 25, 1903.

HERMAN THIELE, OF MILWAUKEE, VVISUONSIN.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,528, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed January 10, 1903. Serial No. 138,572. (No model.)

*0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN THIELE, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Oar-Fender, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention is an improved construction of car-fender, the object being to provide a device which will prevent a person from being injured by the wheels of a street-car; and it is the object of the invention to provide a fender which will be operated by striking an object in either an elevated or upright position and also by striking an object in a lowered or horizontal position, as would be the case if the person or object were lying across the track.

Another object is to provide for the automatic operation of the fender, said operation taking place instantly the person or object contacts with the fender.

lVith these objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction of the va rious parts, all of which will be fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the end of a car equipped with my improved construction of fender. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the fender, showing the position of the various parts after the fender has been tripped and thrown. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 show details of construction.

In carrying out my invention I employ a fender A, composed of a plurality of metallic strips A, arranged in parallel order within a suitable frame A which is pivoted to the bottom of the car in advance of the wheels, said fender being curved as shown and of such a length that it will rest upon the road-bed when thrown downwardly, and the fender is also of such width as to protect both wheels of the car. Astrong springB is connected to the fender A below the pivot-point of said fender, the purpose of such spring being to throw the fender downwardly upon the roadbed the moment the said fender is released by means of the tripping device, said fender being normally held elevated by the front cross-bar A of the frame resting upon the parallel beams C, said beams beingpivotally connected at their rear ends 0 to the depend ing swinging arms D, which are connected to the longitudinal timbers at the bottom of the car. Each beam 0 has a depression (3 in which the end of the front cross-bar A rests, and the spring-plate E is connected to each beam 0 for the purpose of holding said crossbar in a depression 0 Each beam is provided with an offset 0 adjacent to the notch 0 so that the rear portion of the beams are closer together than the forward portions, the purpose of which construction will appear hereinafter.

A horizontal beam F is arranged directly in front of the front sill of the car, said beam being secured by means of suitable brackets F, projecting forward from each end of the front sill, and connected to this beam is a spring-buffer G, composed of a series of metallic strips G, connected at their upper ends to the horizontal beam F and at their lower ends to a cross-bar G Two curved arms H extend downwardly from the beam F, being pivoted to the under side of the same, said arms being pivotally connected to a cross-rod I, which also connect the forward ends of the beam 0, and the spring-buffer K is also connected to this cross-rod I, said spring-buffer comprising a series of spring-metal strips K, connected at their upper ends to a cross-rod I and at their lower ends to a cross-strip K The cross-bar G is provided with inwardlyextendingside portions G ,intowhich the ends of the cross-rod I fit when the beams are projected forwardly and the spring-buffer K lowered, as most clearly shown in Fig. 1, and when in this position the fender A is elevated and supported at its forward end upon the beam 0. In case the spring-buffer G should come in contact with a person or object, the bar G will contact and cause the beam G to be moved rearwardly, which rearward movement will disengage the forward end of the fender A, inasmuch as the offset portion 0 of the beam will be forced to a point to the rear of the cross-bar A and inasmuch as the space be tween the forward portion of the beam 0 is greater than the length of the cross-bar A said cross-bar. will be dropped or disengaged from the beams and the spring B will imme diately throw the fender A down upon the road-bed. In case an object should be rest ing close to the track, the lower spring-buffer K will be struck and thrown rearwardly and upwardly, which movement will operate exactly the same upon the beams O and likewise,

upon the fender A, and it will of course be understood that the rearward movement of the beam 0 serves to disengage the ends of the cross-bar I from the seat or rest portions G It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly simple and efficient construction of car-fender the operation of which will be thoroughly automatic, and it will also be noted that the fender will be operated by an object in an elevated or upright position and also by an object in a horizontal or lowered position. Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. The combination with a spring-actu ated fender arranged beneath the car, parallel beams adapted to support the forward end of the fender in a raised position, and means operatively connected with the forward ends of said beams, whereby the said 'fender is disengaged, as specified.

2. The combination with a spring-actuated fender arranged beneath the car, of parallel horizontal beams adapted to support the forthe lower end of the first-mentioned buffer,

for the purpose described.

3. In a car-fender, the combination with a spring-actuated fender arranged beneath the car, the beams having lateral offsets, springbuffer K, and the spring-buffer G, and the seat portions carried upon'the lower ends of the buffer G, for the purpose specified.

4. In a car-fender, the combination with a spring-actuated fender arranged beneath the car, of the horizontal beams having notches, said beams also having lateral offsets adjacent to the notches, spring-plates connected to the beams and extending across the said notches, springbuffers G and K, the depending arms l-I, cross-bar I, and seat portions G all arranged and adapted to operate, substantially as described.

HERMAN THIELE.

Vitnesses:

Ron'r. L. RUDOLPH, GEo. KLEIN. 

